The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Farmers going for vanilla in a big way

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Friday, Mar 04, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Others

Farmers going for vanilla in a big way

By K. Raju

KODAIKANAL, MARCH 3. Vanilla, an effective and viable inter-crop, has been picking up well among farmers in the hilly regions as well as in the plains in several pockets of the State, according to P. Natarajan, senior scientist, Indian Cardamom Research Institute, (Spices Board) in Perumparai in lower Kodaikanal hills.

At present, the crop has been cultivated in Kolli hills, Yercaud, Kodaikanal, Bodi, Cumbum, Erode, Pollachi, Nagercoil, Pattukottai and Nilgiris. The Indian Cardamom Research Institute in Perumparai in lower Kodaikanal hills has distributed 18,000 cut-stem seedlings to farmers so far. Vanilla has been raised as an intercrop to coconut trees in plains and to coffee and other crop in hill areas.

The sharp increase in prices in global market tempted many farmers to enter into vanilla cultivation. Ban on artificial vanilla in developed countries and sharp fall in global production in 2003-04 had increased its demand and prices manifold. Natural calamities too destroyed crops in Indonesia, one of the major producing centres in the world.

Talking to The Hindu , Mr. Natarajan said, "Our main objective is to make the country a quality vanilla producing centre in the world by 2007." The demand for seedlings in Tamil Nadu was high.

The scope for vanilla would be high in the coming years, thanks to the increase in the use of its natural essence in developed countries. The demand in the United States, Germany, England and Canada was very high. Of all these countries, the U.S. was the major importer.

While 65 per cent shade was needed for raising the crop in plain areas, 50 per cent was sufficient in hills. About 25 per cent of water required for cardamom plant was enough to raise vanilla. Partially composed surface organic matter would be enough to raise the plant. Farmers could get yield from the third year and from the fourth, they could get better yield with good quality.

"We have encouraged coffee growers to raise vanilla as intercrop in Kodaikanal with an aim of balancing the loss, if any, in coffee cultivation. Intensive propagation campaign has been taken up and periodical training for plant maintenance is also given to farmers," he said and added that standardisation of planting materials, that ensured better productivity, was important to eliminate poor quality seedling available in the market.

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